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Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation

The High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) produces the report “Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation”, at the request of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The HLPE-FSN report will be presented at the 52nd plenary session of the CFS in October 2024.

With this e-consultation, the HLPE-FSN is seeking your feedback on the proposed scope of this report and the guiding questions below.

SCOPE AND RATIONALE

Almost sixty percent of the global population is currently living in urban centres (UNDESA, 2018; Acharya et al., 2020). These centres are widely seen as engines of growth and employment, producing over 80 percent of the global GDP, but also facing huge challenges in guaranteeing access for all residents to essential services such as health, education, transportation and food (Ibid.). Urban populations are rapidly increasing, with a growth curve particularly sharp in Africa and Asia. The fifteen fastest-growing cities in the world, for example, are in Africa. Alongside urbanization, there has been a “geographical decoupling” (Langemeyer et al., 2021) of cities from sources of food supply, with urban and peri-urban land use being reoriented for “more profitable” uses. As such, cities and towns are fast losing peri-urban agricultural lands, which have historically provided them with fresh and healthy food. Urban areas are also experiencing higher rates of extreme weather events that affect people’s livelihoods and incomes, while inequalities among urban populations are growing (Pelling et al., 2021). These trends mean that urban and peri-urban areas also concentrate risks for food insecurity and malnutrition, which became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic (see for example Rede PENSSAN, 2021), exacerbated by natural disasters and conflicts. At the same time, urban and peri-urban areas are resourceful, serving as hubs for education, technology and innovation, health and social services as well as for food production, processing and distribution, all roles that could be enhanced.

Often, in impoverished urban areas, informal economic and market relationships in food systems can be critical for food security, but suffer from policy and regulatory neglect. Informal food systems comprise a complex network of suppliers, transporters, hawkers, retailers and street and market food vendors, in addition to farmers, and contribute to making food more accessible and affordable to urban consumers. Yet, these informal sector actors mainly rely on their own resources and capital and have very little policy support for strengthening their enterprises and ensuring quality, such as support for access to market intelligence, transport and logistics, cold chains or waste reuse facilities (Tefft et al., 2017). In fact, in the absence of specific food system planning, the sale and consumption of highly processed foods is growing in most urban centres, while local commerce offering healthy, fresh food at affordable prices, and often in smaller quantities, is neglected, contributing to the so-called “food deserts”. These trends typically have negative impacts on food security and nutrition (Peyton, Moseley and Battersby, 2015; Battersby, 2017; Acharya et al., 2020).

This policy incoherence insists on a general lack of coordination between policies and actors concerned with food security, agriculture, environment, etc., and urban planning, and it is exacerbated by the general dearth of city-level data, analyses and empirical evidence to inform decision-making on urban and peri-urban food policy. As such, it is difficult for policymakers to plan, prioritize, design and track urban and peri-urban food system interventions and ensure coherence across policies and sectors. Furthermore, governments and other organs like famine early warning systems (FEWS) have also not been as good at monitoring food insecurity in urban areas as they have been in rural areas, beyond very basic indicators such as food prices (Moseley, 2001; Krishnamurthy, Choularton and Kareiva, 2020).

Cities can play a vital role in shaping food system policies to bolster their resilience in several ways. They can source locally or regeneratively grown food where appropriate, facilitate sustainable urban and peri-urban production of nutritious food, avoid food waste by strengthening investments in circular bio-economy (broadly defined as an economy based on the sustainable use, re-use and regeneration of natural resources), build inclusive food markets by investing in infrastructure for smaller scale traders and retailers to market healthier food products. They can also play a role in promoting resilience by mitigating and adapting against the adverse impacts of climate change (HLPE, 2020; Heck and Alonso, 2021).

Urban and peri-urban agriculture is an important option with potentially positive impacts on dietary diversity, the quality of city spaces, and community action and empowerment. Yet, in most cities, especially in the Global South, there is little state support for urban and peri-urban agriculture. Instead, current regulations in cities and the rising market value of peri-urban land limit opportunities for local production. A recent FAO survey indicates that municipal governments play an enormous role in identifying and connecting food system actors to foster innovative community-based initiatives to support food security and nutrition (FAO, 2020). In the face of the dramatic consequences of the pandemic, for example, home gardens provided nutritious and healthy food supplements and ecosystem services (Lal, 2020). Local markets multiplied, as did initiatives by family producers for home delivery of baskets of fresh food and initiatives for food donations to low-income communities. Many people in urban areas, especially new migrants, undocumented people and informal workers, were forced to go to food banks and charities, with great harm to their dignity and agency (Rao et al., 2020). These experiences point to the importance and potential of the territorial dimension of food systems for the realization of the human right to food (Recine et al., 2021).

Given the social and economic significance of urban areas, it is imperative to address the challenges of urbanization in relation to rural transformation to “build back better” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to supply chains caused by the war in Ukraine, internal conflicts and natural disasters. It is vital that policies address poverty and inequality, build resilience and social inclusion and foster sustainable livelihoods. The specific needs of diverse rural and urban contexts, the difference between different types of urban areas (e.g. megacities and towns in largely rural areas) and the linkages between them in the rural-urban continuum, should be considered in formulating food policies. The New Urban Agenda, for example, calls for the integration of food and nutrition security into urban and territorial planning (UN Habitat, 2016). The report could also explore the specific issues concerning food security and nutrition that cities face in situations of conflicts, natural disasters and other crises, especially where there is dependence on imported food and vulnerability to price volatility.

A more in-depth analysis of food systems is needed in the context of urbanization and rural transformation to ensure that the right to food and nutrition security, in all its six dimensions (HLPE, 2020), are met. In particular, the report could investigate the potential of territorial and informal markets, the circular economy, and shorter supply chains to strengthen the linkages between urban and peri-urban food production and consumption. The role of food environments in urban areas is particularly important, considering the coexistence of organized distribution (supermarkets) with territorial and informal markets, and the adverse impacts of supermarketization pushing out small and/or informal food retail outlets (Peyton et al. 2015). As such, parts of cities, often the poorest, have become ‘food deserts’ for fresh and healthy produce, thus affecting city diets, which are already characterised by increasing prioritization of processed and convenience food. In addition, urban centres, and especially informal settlement areas, are often characterized by lack of basic infrastructure such as access to potable water and sewages.  Specific attention to water and sanitation needs is thus required in relation to food utilization in urban and peri-urban areas.

At the same time, urban and peri-urban areas are home to interesting innovations for food production, processing and distribution, such as vertical gardens, ethical purchasing groups and marketing innovations, which could be replicated in other contexts. To strengthen the role of urban and peri-urban food systems, it is essential to reflect on the architecture of food security and nutrition governance, and especially on how city councils, urban planning experts and other partners can engage with actors that are traditionally involved in food systems and food security and nutrition policies to enhance synergies. Some of the policy measures that have been recommended in recent years to enhance the role of urban and peri-urban food systems concern the promotion of equitable access to land and productive agricultural resources for small-scale producers. They also include investment in rural and urban infrastructure, the development of territorial markets and short supply chains, prioritizing people living in poverty in cities and rural areas to access nutritious food and healthier living conditions, and anticipating the inter-connected future of urbanization and rural transformation (HLPE, 2020; Heck and Alonso, 2021).

Building on the outcomes of the CFS Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Urbanization, rural transformation and implications for food security and nutrition (CFS 2017/44/6 and CFS 2016/43/11), recent literature and policy debates, the report will explore these issues and formulate policy recommendations to the attention of the CFS.

QUESTIONS TO GUIDE THE E-CONSULTATION ON THE SCOPE OF THE HLPE-FSN REPORT

The HLPE-FSN is seeking your feedback on the proposed scope of the report “Strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems to achieve food security and nutrition in the context of urbanization and rural transformation”, in particular, you are invited to:

A

Share your comments on the objectives and proposed content of this report as outlined above.

Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions?

B

Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts.

C

Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions:

1.            What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

2.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes?

3.            How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings?

4.            What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems? 

5.            How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises?

6.            What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources?

7.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition needs of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met?

8.            What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations?

9.            In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience?

10.         How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?

11.         Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?

 

The results of this consultation will be used by the HLPE-FSN to elaborate the report, which will then be made public in its V0 draft for e-consultation, and later submitted to peer review, before finalization and approval by the HLPE-FSN drafting team and the Steering Committee.

We thank in advance all the contributors for reading, commenting and providing inputs on the scope of this HLPE-FSN report. The comments are accepted in English, French and Spanish languages.

The HLPE-FSN looks forward to a rich consultation!

Évariste Nicolétis, HLPE-FSN Coordinator

Paola Termine, HLPE-FSN Programme Officer

References

Acharya, G. Cassou, E. Jaffee, S., Ludher, E.K. 2020. RICH Food, Smart City: How Building Reliable, Inclusive, Competitive, and Healthy Food Systems is Smart Policy for Urban Asia. Washington, DC, World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/35137   

Battersby, J. 2017. Food system transformation in the absence of food system planning: the case of supermarket and shopping mall retail expansion in Cape Town, South Africa. Built Environment, 43(3): 417-430.

FAO. 2020. Cities and local governments at the forefront in building inclusive and resilient food systems: Key results from the FAO Survey “Urban Food Systems and COVID-19”, Revised version. Rome.

Heck, S. & Alonso, S. 2021. Resilient Cities Through Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agrifood Systems. Montpellier, France, CGIAR. Resilient-Cities.pdf (storage.googleapis.com)

HLPE. 2020. Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/ca9731en/ca9731en.pdf

Krishnamurthy, P. K., Choularton, R. J., & Kareiva, P. 2020. Dealing with uncertainty in famine predictions: How complex events affect food security early warning skill in the Greater Horn of Africa. Global Food Security, 26: 100374.

Lal, R. 2020. Home gardening and urban agriculture for advancing food and nutritional security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Security, 12: 871-876. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12571-020-01058-3

Langemeyer, J., Madrid-López, C., Mendoza Beltrán, A. & Villalba Mendez, G. 2021. Urban agriculture — A necessary pathway towards urban resilience and global sustainability? Landscape and Urban Planning, 210: 104055. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204621000189

Moseley, W. G. 2001. Monitoring urban food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Geographical Review, 21(1): 81-90.

Pelling, M., Chow, W. T. L., Chu, E., Dawson, R., Dodman, D., Fraser, A., Hayward, B. et al. 2021. A climate resilience research renewal agenda: learning lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for urban climate resilience. Climate and Development, 0(0): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1956411

Peyton, S., Moseley, W. & Battersby, J. 2015. Implications of supermarket expansion on urban food security in Cape Town, South Africa. African Geographical Review, 34(1): 36-54.

Rao, N., Narain, N., Chakraborty, S., Bhanjdeo, A. & Pattnaik, A. 2020. Destinations Matter: Social Policy and Migrant Workers in the Times of Covid. The European Journal of Development Research, 32(5): 1639–1661. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7590571/

Recine, E., Preiss, P.V., Valencia, M. et al. 2021. The Indispensable Territorial Dimension of Food Supply: A View from Brazil During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Development, 64: 282–287. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41301-021-00308-x    

Rede Brasileira de Pesquisa em Soberania e Segurança Alimentar (Rede PENSSAN). 2021. VIGISAN National Survey of Food Insecurity in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil https://olheparaafome.com.br/VIGISAN_AF_National_Survey_of_Food_Insecurity.pdf

Tefft, J., Jonasova, M., Adjao, R. & Morgan, A. 2017. Food systems for an urbanizing world. Washington DC, World Bank and Rome, FAO.

UNDESA (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs). 2018. 2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects. New York. Cited June 2022. https://desapublications.un.org/file/615/download

UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme). 2016. The New Urban Agenda. Nairobi. https://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/NUA-English.pdf

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FAO Urban Food Systems PPA BE4

FAO
Italy

Dear all,

Please find the inputs from  the FAO Urban Food Systems PPA BE4 below. Kindly consider that the inputs include the contributions received by the FAO Green Cities and Urban Food Agenda teams.

Best regards,

Cecilia Marocchino, Urban Food Agenda Coordinator, Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), FAO

Contributions to the guiding questions

A. Share your comments on the objectives and proposed content of this report as outlined above. Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions?

Your input/comment and views
  • The nature of rural urban linkages is changing. The rural–urban distinction no longer appears to be an adequate axis with which to understand recent evolution of food systems. The relationship between urban and rural areas has changed: the borders between the two are increasingly blurred forming a spatial continuum which links rural hinterland to urban areas. The space in between is dotted with small and medium size cities and rural towns which have a major role in the evolution of food systems. In this context, small and intermediate cities play a crucial role as they could become hubs for essential components of the food systems. The importance of the rural-urban continuum should be therefore at the centre of the report. As a result, It should be highlighted the need for policies that take in consideration rural, peri-urban and urban populations and support their ability to have access to nutritious food and healthy diet while at the same time jointly promoting urban and rural economic, social and environmental sustainability.
  • When mentioning urban and peri-urban food systems, usually we have to consider the movement of people, resources, investment, apart from food, which are also key in urbanization and rural transformation.
  • The rapid increase of urban populations generates special attention to urban areas and their immediate rural territories, as a functional area where most of the actions of the food system occurs, where the majority of food consumers are, and the surrounding rural areas are home to zones of food production and other components of the supply chain (COAG/2020/12). In Latin America, the population residing in urban areas went from representing 29% of the total population, in the mid-20th century, to 81%, currently, the majority in cities with less than 5 million inhabitants (ONU, 2019).
  • The role of local governments in promoting food systems transformation should be highlighted. Many local governments are at the fore front in this agenda, but their role is not sufficiently recognized, and they are not adequately supported with financial and technical capacity particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The New Urban Agenda in 2016 and the Un Food Systems Summit in 2022 have been a turning point in this regard. The Urban Food Systems Coalition has been established (https://ufs-coalition.org).
  • The importance of developing food policy at local level and establish local food governance mechanisms (E.g. Food Policy Council) should be included as an important strategies that many cities are putting in place to operationalize the systemic approach and ensure the engagement of multiple actors. The urban food systems approach which includes urban food systems analysis, the establishment of multi-actor urban food governance mechanisms, the development of holistic food policies, strategies and plans , the integration of food systems in urban planning and the implementation of urban food systems actions according to specific entry points, is at the centre of the FAO Urban Food Agenda approach
  • If the mainstreaming of urban food system into urban planning is mentioned, is it key to insist on the necessary holistic approach to local policy, connecting food to land use, but also local economy (formal and informal), education, health, social relation and equity, etc. This system thinking approach should be mentioned.
  • Urban and peri-urban agriculture, food retail environment (formal and informal), food waste management and circular bioeconomy should be included as possible entry points for initiating the process of developing holistic food systems policies and plans.
  • The gap in terms of multi-level food systems governance should also be included. The linkage between all level of governments should be strengthened to create the enabling environment for cities to properly act and promote sustainable food systems transformation (refers to the Urban Food Systems Coalition)
  • What needs to be highlighted is the relationship between income, diets and food environments across rural-urban continuum: as they move or are born in urban areas, increasing number of people purchase majority of food they consume, especially in medium and big cities. This means that (urban) households are becoming more sensitive to price volatility for food security, since they spend a higher percentage of their household percentage on food than rural households, which has direct impacts on malnutrition and livelihoods. This also means that people purchase more processed foods and consume ‘food away from home’. This also means that the food environments have big role to play, especially the type of food retail outlets present in cities, but also their density by type (e.g. density of fast food outlets vs fresh food outlets in a neighbourhood). Financial and physical access to diverse, safe and fresh food is a key challenge for malnutrition. 
  • It could be interesting to develop to what extent, the “geographical decoupling” contributes to changes in food behaviour and malnutrition. Urban Food systems are key in the sense that they contribute to reconnecting of consumer to producer and changing food consumption behaviour.
  • Urban food diet is an important issue for public health, affecting more countries as the urbanization process intensifies. This area linked urban food system to health has to be developed.
  • The text does not highlight enough the shortcomings of urban agriculture: risk for health (with heavy metals), competition for water resources, use of pesticides in very dense habitat, and animal diseases (difficult to control by authorities);
  • The role of green urban spaces to protect functional ecosystem services should be mentioned, in the context of climate change (higher climate risks for cities concentrating more people) and land use change in urban areas. In this regard, the FAO Green Cities initiative was launched in 2020 to ensure access to a healthy environment from sustainable agri-food systems, increasing availability of green spaces through urban and peri-urban forestry.
  • Avoiding, reducing and recovering food waste is part of food system transformation, also at city level. Food waste recovery can be a track to close the loop of nutrients as cities are a black hole for nutrient coming from rural lands;
  • Some main challenges faced by urban and peri-urban food systems are missing, which are climate change and other shocks and stresses.

B. Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts.

Your input
  • Local food systems strategies supported by FAO: the Antananarivo Food Systems Resilience Strategy, The Nairobi Food Strategy endorsed by Nairobi County and integrated in the County Development Plan, Quito Agrifood System Resilience Strategy among many others.
  • Multi-actor food policy Councils or similar mechanisms supported by FAO: the case of Lima, Kisumu, Quito, Nairobi, Bambilor, Kigali.
  • Initiatives taken by cities to develop local food policies and strategies all over the world. References can be identified via MUFPP, ICLEI, C40, CIRAD, Horizon 2020 programme, FAO projects and other UN;
  • The National framework in France, promoting Territorial Food Policies, can be analysed;
  • Worth exploring what has been done by other UN agencies leading response in conflict areas : WFP, UNHCR, IOM (e.g. MITSA project in Senegal and Ivory Coast led by IOM);
  • The Approach used by FAO with partners to support cities and local governments in mainstreaming food systems in local policies, planning and actions (reference to the FAO Urban Food Agenda and FAO Green Cities Initiative).

C. Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions:

1.            What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

Your input

 

2.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes?

Your input
  • Cross-sector collaboration among national, region and local governments with focus on integrated urban planning and multistakeholder mechanisms;
  • FAO through Urban Food Agenda approach supports cities and local governments to integrate food systems into local policies, plans and actions and through 3 pillars: i) conducting urban food systems analysis to create evidence and knowledge; ii) supporting urban food systems policy, planning and governance by facilitating food governance mechanisms and development of strategies, and iii) implementing urban food actions;
  • Mobilising the food production/processing potential of the territory; reorienting food actors of the local value chains (or developing new chains) to better channel the local production to the local market. Of course, food imports are necessary, but the nearly total geographical decoupling we now observe has bad side effects;
  • Adopt a system-thinking approach linking local food policy to health, economy, education in the territory;
  • Develop school canteen supplies with organic and local food, and use this policy to reconnect children to their territory. They'll become ambassador in their family;
  • Facilitate collaboration between local governments to avoid border effects and pay attention to rural-urban linkages;
  • Develop a social security related to (healthy) food: subsidy poor family in food purchasing power for health food (healthy for the planet and the body);
  • Ban food ads. For example, in France, in 2017, food ads budget amounted € 2,4 billion, while the food campaign of the ministry on health amounted €4 million (600 times less);
  • Adopt the territorial perspective, a territory (country level) might have overlapping configurations of food systems;
  • Invest in data to understand context-specific patterns that determine how the FS works from farm to fork and invest in evidence to inform about risks and inefficiencies;
  • Get the relevant actors around a table and define most relevant entry-point and priorities to be addressed under a common vision for the future;
  • Embrace a resilient approach based on the last 10 years evidence related to shocks and stresses;
  • Identify the regulations which might be involved with most relevant behavioral patterns and include multi-sectorial thinking to agree on the necessary changes;
  • Invest in a cost-benefit analyses putting social, environmental and health values in the center of the equation;
  • Invest in education and awareness at all levels to change behavior;
  • Establishing institutional multi-stakeholder mechanisms dedicated to food systems governance: ‘food units’ in local and regional governments, inter-ministerial committees;
  • Generating open data, knowledge and evidence on local level regarding most important food system aspects and entry points under the public domain: food insecurity and malnutrition, food markets and outlets, food infrastructure, food waste, circular economy, food safety, public food procurement;
  • Investing in remunerative agrifood system jobs, and better agri-business;
  • Adopting integrated food systems policies;
  • Improve information and public commitment in the middle stages of food supply chain / logistics, processing, distribution / where value is concentrated, also emissions and inequities.

3.            How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings?

Your input
  • Policy and investments in market and value chain infrastructure (cold chain, storage, processing facilities), in mechanisms for fresh food product differentiation (participatory guarantee systems/certificate mechanisms) and low-cost traceability systems, in peripheral infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, sewage); in local fresh food outlets and domestic horticultural sector (farmers markets and short supply chains), in agrifood system education sector (integrating education nutrition and diets in all the agrifood education sector) and agribusiness enterprise development (especially targeted to youth and women); in innovative, incentivizing policies and capacity building for inclusion of small informal businesses. 
  • Develop storage facilities and transport systems;
  • Develop mechanisms to monitor food markets;
  • Effective food distribution, including expansion of delivery services, establishment of temporary food hubs, direct food distribution to vulnerable populations, and logistical support mainly provided in large cities;
  • Promote short food chains to enable urban citizens to access food products;
  • Providing information to food consumers (where does the food come from, how it has been produced, transformed, by who, what are the induced pollutions and GHG emissions, what is its health score). One of the key levers should be to provide the true cost of food;
  • Develop public food policy that link agriculture-food-health-climate-biodiversity & Inform the consumer & Adopt food trade agreements that avoid to exports externalities in other territories/countries;
  • Develop biocircular economic solutions and adopt agroecological agricultural practices, in particular in diversifying food production (livestock & crops);
  • Identify risks and inefficiencies from key commodities and develop the necessary evidence to unpack bottlenecks. Ref: Develop a food flow mapping assessment, Colombo CRFS;
  • Consider the assessment of the last 10 years of shocks and stresses and how the system has responded effectively or not using existing or developing new capacities (collective initiatives, policies, programmes). Ref: FAO comparative global study on CRFS resilience;
  • Promote the circular development of urban food systems

4.            What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems? 

Your input
  • Shared data on land tenure;
  • Training of urban and territorial planners on these issues;
  • Multistakeholder dialogue and collaboration mechanism;
  • Food system assessment tools and the application in the local context;
  • Developing and enforcing appropriate land regulations that protect agriculture lands from urbanization. Making land trade transparent;
  • Developing food distribution systems that consider the ‘food desert’ risks and food security at large;
  • Ban food ads (from cities);
  • Ref: MUFPP 37 recommended actions clustered in 6 categories which can be included in urban masterplans;
  • Ref: MUFPP Monitoring framework as a concrete guide on indicators that help city planners to choose food priorities;

Develop multidisciplinary urban planning teams to develop integrated urban planning, linking urban (or land-use) planning with the economic, social, health and environmental dimensions. Infrastructure should serve social, health and environmental welfare and not the other way round. Integrated technical committees are not enough but consider inviting to thematic planning sessions representatives from the private and civil society sectors;

  • In China, there are government issues policies to protect cultivated land area since 2000, which seek to balance increases in urban construction land with a reduction in rural construction to alleviate the loss of arable land (Deng et al., 2015). These policies have achieved some successful results, where a process of resettlement in some provinces converted over 660 ha of rural housing land into farmland. However, overall, it is projected that these policies do not suffice since the continued urbanization rate in towns and cities that keeps converting arable land for settlement purposes is faster than the rate of offsetting the rural settlement into arable land (Deng et al., 2015).

 

5.            How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises?

Your input
  • Join FAO Green Cities Initiative (GCI) to get support; The GCI focuses on improving the urban environment, strengthening urban-rural linkages and the resilience of urban systems, services and populations to external shocks. Ensuring access to a healthy environment and healthy diets from sustainable agri-food systems, increasing availability of green spaces through urban and peri-urban forestry, it will also contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and sustainable resource management. It provides technical support to cities in different levels:
    • Actions for metropolitan cities to enhance their contribution to sustainable growth and wealth at national level with a focus on innovation and green technologies for agri-food systems and green infrastructure, improved food distribution systems and food environments, and better food and water waste management through improved urban planning and rural urban linkages.
    • Actions for intermediary cities to enhance their role in connecting rural and urban areas to basic facilities and services with a focus on balancing green and healthy environments with productivity, producing local food, connecting producers and local markets, innovative agro-processing food hubs and green jobs, farmers markets and circular economy.
    • Actions for small cities to enhance nutrition, healthier diets and closer interactions to where food is produced with a focus on governance for functional territories, innovation and green technologies for green infrastructures and food systems, improved agro-processing hubs and urban-rural linkages, promoting off-farm job opportunities, reducing food loss and better food and water waste management.
  • Improve short food supply chain;
  • Diversify food supply and access sources;
  • Exchange knowledge and lessons learnt;
  • Joint actions between national and municipal governments;
  • Adopt nature-based solutions and green infrastructures providing the expected services;
  • Adopting exemplary actions such as home-grown school feeding programme (as well as for other public canteens), and supporting the connections between local producers and public purchasers;
  • Invest circular economy solutions, in particular in avoiding-reducing-recovering food waste and organic waste. As cities concentrate food and food consumption, there is an urgent need to close the loop of organic Carbon and nutrients (NPK), getting value from faeces and unavoidable food waste;
  • Cities are powerful driver for food habits and food behaviours. National and local governments can facilitate switch for planetary health diet with less meat and more pulses playing on food ads (to be banned), public canteens (organic, seasonal and local food with vegetarian meals), food environment and distribution (market place accessible to local famers, fresh food retailers in the city);
  • Cities (and national governments) can also promote changes in agricultural practices in their territory, promoting Agroecological practices, encouraging carbon sequestration in agriculture (hedge, soil carbon) and develop local labels for low carbon local food.
  • Local and national governments can incentive local supply chains to better consider (transform and sell locally) the local farm products, however self-sufficient food production shouldn’t be an objective, unless to put food security at risk. The driver is more how to reconnect local agriculture to its territory;
  • Read the IPCC Report Summary for Cities to be aware of what science is forecasting for the next 30 years and act;
  • Engage with international goals and objectives. Choose to collaborate at multiple scale defining roles and responsibilities, define a feasible way to report on results. Invest the most in supporting the weakest. MUFPP, SDGs;
  • Involve multi-sectorial thinking, do not leave all the burden to governments. Partner with the private sector and the civil society;
  • Invest in R&D for locally-adapted and climate shock-resistant seeds

6.            What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources?

Your input
  • See examples from CRFS policy briefs https://www.fao.org/in-action/food-for-cities-programme/resources/policy-briefs/en/
  • The change is the unprecedented: high rate of the urbanization in Africa and Asia;
  • It is key to strengthen cooperation between local government (and their stakeholders) at territorial level to better anticipate collectively and enhance urban-rural linkages;
  • It is key to link land use regulation to a territorial food protect. In France it is the case: local governments have the possibility to activate these 2 groups of tools: regulation and territorial project, and these policies must be conducted over the long term;
  • It is also key that these policies are cross sectorial linking drinking water provision, economy and trade, agricultural practices, food education, information of the consumers, biodiversity;
  • Land Laws and regulations (land tenure, land-use strategic documents, masterplans schemes, development plans at national and local level);
  • Policies on: water, agriculture and environment, adaptation plans, resilience and contingency plans;
  • Main gaps are observed in the omission of systemic approaches, the inclusion of food systems, considering resilience as an optional approach. Implementation is challenging in many countries due to the complexity of land-ownership patterns;

7.            How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition needs of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met?

Your input
  • These different groups have different needs and need different approaches – for children, it is crucial to work on maternal nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life (between a woman’s pregnancy and child’s second birthday), as it is a brief but critical window of opportunity to shape a child’s development in terms of nutrient provision. Working with local health centers on training of frontline health workers on women’s education around nutrition, investment in distribution of adequate supplements, and social and behavior change communication is a key for preventing life-long impacts of under- and malnutrition in form of stunting, wasting and cognitive impairments. 
  • Offering the possibility of displaced people to farm themselves (per ex near a refugees camp);
  • Implement in-depth assessment and make policies based on the results;
  • Establish multistakeholder platform and dialogue mechanism;
  • Multi-stakeholder governance through participatory dialogues and platforms enables more inclusive approaches to happen;
  • Holistic Stakeholder mapping tools are needed to make sure you don’t leave anybody out;

8.            What are the potential benefits and challenges of territorial markets for strengthening food security and nutrition for urban populations?

Your input

  • Territorial markets are at the heart of local food systems, especially in low-income settings. They are crucial not only for securing access to markets for smallholder farmers, but also for safeguarding food security and nutrition in the territories in question (CFS, 2016; FAO, 2015). Territorial markets also play a critical role in ensuring day-to-day access to fresh and seasonal and traditional food products, such as vegetables, fruits, meat and fish (FAO, 2016; FAO and iNRA, 2016). Majority of population in developing countries purchases fresh food at territorial markets (across all income levels) (Gomez and Ricketts, 2013), and considering this, upgrading these markets (investing in infrastructure, providing access to financial and credit services for smallholders, supporting product differentiation and marketing, improving market management and governance)  to deliver safe, accessible, and diverse food regularly would improve livelihoods and diets for majority of population in developing countries (including both consumers and retailers); Despite their importance, territorial markets are often not available in (national) data collection systems. This is why FAO has developed the initiative on mapping of territorial market, including data collection methodology, indicators, database and lessons learnt from the analysis. You can learn about more about the initiative here: https://www.fao.org/nutrition/markets/territorial-markets-initiative/en/.
  • Location and accessibility;
  • Management and monitoring mechanism;
  • Territorial markets can contribute to informing and raising awareness of food consumers. It is therefore necessary to work with food vendors and develop Participatory Guarantee System facilitating the information of the consumer;
  • Benefits : local consumption by increasing territorial markets reduces food miles and GHGs, shortens supply chains reducing intermediaries and costs, is contributes to local job creation inclusion and job diversification, can benefit from circular approaches, products are fresher and do not need conservation chemicals contributing to healthier food;
  • Challenges: Space availability, needs infrastructure investments, governance and intercommunal coordination, regulations and resources, food safety regulation mechanisms;

9.            In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience?

Your input
  • When waste management is well done, the water drainage channels are less clogged;
  • Agriculture fields can offer space for temporary buffers during flooding events;
  • Urban green space helps reducing the urban heat island effect;
  • High tech UPA practices such as hydroponics or vertical farming can also lead to the more optimal use of scarce resources such as water and soil;
  • Bringing production areas closer to cities can contribute to lowering the pressure on agricultural systems that border natural ecosystems (forest, wetlands, grasslands, etc.), which play a critical role in the conservation of biodiversity, mitigation of climate change and the provision of environmental services on which all types of life depend;
  • You reduce the use of chemical input (whose production emits GHG);
  • Recovering Food Waste avoid methane emissions;
  • FAO UPA sourcebook;
  • UPA combined with UPF can contribute to NBSs to improve urban resilience to increasing natural hazards, providing at the same time food. The increasing biomass in cities can be used to produce compost for urban farmers and energy. Urban biodiversity increases the quality of the urban environment, watersheds are preserved, water resources are preserved.
  • Design and implement models to improve green infrastructure in the urban and periiurban areas, considering solutions based on nature, and multilevel governance;
  • Considering different opportunities of collaborative food transportation as fluvial logistics, urban food hubs, CSA, among others

10.         How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?

Your input
  • Give voice to civil society at municipality level;
  • Climathon a possible method;
  • Using Open street maps communities (Open Green Maps | Open Green Map... )
  • Join multistakeholder mechanism;
  • Participate in a food council;
  • Develop home grown school feeding program together with food education, Then children contribute changing their family;
  • Develop the true cost of food: consumers must be aware about what the eat;
  • FAO CRFS Handbook and online toolkit ;
  • Participation in local food policy councils, food and city labs ;
  • Using technology (apps, e-platforms) that connect and complement existing knowledge in communities, point to gaps, and help in sharing information on local food systems – food waste, CSA, urban/community gardens, land, and which can be used for advocacy on the local level ;
  • Participation through public educational institutions (school meals and garden programs) ;
  • Volunteering in food solidarity channels (e.g.food banks) ;
  • Developing local food initiatives : UPA, CSA, local food markets, food maps, etc.

11.         Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?

Your input

 

 
See the attachments:

Hello,

most of the issues are well covered.

Though, I would stronger emphasize the issue on renewable energies, energy supply in cities, incorporation of photovoltaics in agriculture, on small fields as agrivoltaics, or for urban gardening, with PV modules on roof tops and crops grown under it. Here also energy supply in form of biogas generated from organic waste, specifically in markets, should be included, as well as from urban/peri-urban food processing facilities. 

This should be in form of the WEFE water energy food environment approach, and be included in city governance and city planning.

Regards

Kerstin Wydra

Prof. Dr. sc. agr. habil. Kerstin Wydra

Lehrstuhl 'Pflanzenproduktion im Klimawandel' - Chair 'Plant Production and Climate Change'

Fachhochschule Erfurt - University of Applied Sciences, Germany, https://www.fh-erfurt.de/personenverzeichnis/wydra-kerstin

Member of UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS-HLPE)

Board of Directors of Solarinput e.V.

International Alliance on Solar Energy and Drinking Water

http://solarinput.de/aktivitaeten/arbeitskreise/international-alliance-for-solar-energy-and-water/

Advisory Board of ThEEN (Thüringer Erneuerbare Energien Netzwerk) https://www.theen-ev.de/de/beirat.html

Begleitforschung Agriphotovoltaik, Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme

Member: Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (AbL)

Estimado equipo del GANESAN,

Agradecemos su trabajo para esta consulta. La Coordinación de Agrobiodiversidad de la CONABIO (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad) en México, envía adjunto información que espera sea de utilidad en esta consulta.

Aprovecho para enviar saludos cordiales.

 

M. en C. Irma Angélica Hernández Velázquez.

See the attachments:

Some comments from World Vision on a few of the questions.

A

Share your comments on the objectives and proposed content of this report as outlined above. Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions?

So far, the scope mentioned have covered most of the important urban and peri-urban food issues. However, we would like to suggest adding these components:

  • Residents of urban slums are also facing serious risk of communicable diseases due to the overcrowding and poor hygienic conditions and lack of access to clean water sources. Hence, the urban slums dwellers, especially the young children, are very vulnerable to infections, and would be made worse by inadequate and unhygienic diet they consume.
  • Urban dwellers rely mostly on food purchased from street vendors due to lack of space for cooking or because of busy life. Some studies estimate that five out of every six urban families in India typically spend 70% of their income on food, while in Kuala Lumpur, approximately 45–50% of total household expenditure goes to food (Zezza & Tasciotti, 2010). With unhygienic conditions, sometimes the food quality and food hygiene are below standard. On top of that, the rampant use of dangerous food additives such as coloring and preservatives make these foods a poor choice for children’s diet.

B

Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts.

  • It is also common to find that few urban mothers can cook, sometimes based on the notion that ‘it’s cheaper to buy from small shop vendors, anyway, and we can get more options in smaller quantities’. It is a common sight in Jakarta, for instance, to see mothers of young babies queuing to buy baby porridge sold by street vendors every morning. They either could not cook, or feel that buying a cup of porridge costs less than 50 cents is more practical and economical. So, it is important to have work on changing the mindset of families in urban areas and at the same time teach mothers how to cook simple food, which can be done as a group session. 
  • Urban and semi urban agriculture are indeed lacking support from the state actors. When they do receive support, it is mostly focusing on ceremonials activities instead of supporting a sustainable agriculture system that community can continue in long term. Most successful change agents in urban farming are people who have skills in agriculture, who were able to modify their practice to planting of vegetables and fruits in pots and containers, and able to process household food waste as compost. Yet, this skill is not common for urban dwellers. It would be good to have more community promotion and community training on doing urban farming or urban backyard gardening, with cheaper options.

The following comments are based on the article written by Onyekachukwu Akaeze and Dilip Nandwani “Urban agriculture in Asia to meet the food production challenges of urbanization: A review”, Urban Agriculture and Regional Food Systems, 18 October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.20002

  • The Pune City Corporation's City Farming Project was developed to encourage citizens to practice urban agriculture by growing vegetables and other crops on allocated land (Hallett, Hoagland, & Toner, 2016). Similar programs in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, and others have resulted in many individuals joining the ranks of urban farmers. Through these programs, farmers received assistance from the government, private agencies, and individuals.
  • Establishment of numerous host ventures that specializes in training and assisting farmers on urban agriculture techniques further contributed to increasing the number of urban farmers. Examples of such ventures include- The Living Greens, iKheti, Khetify, Homecrop, Greentechlife, Squarefoot Farms, Edible Routes, City Farming, Earthoholics, Fresh and Local, and Urban Leaves etc. These organizations provide the needed guidance and directions to farmers who have chosen urban agriculture as a career or hobby.
  • The Urban Horticulture Development Scheme introduced a “Do-It-Yourself” kit has enabled city dwellers to grow vegetables on open terraces of individual houses and apartment buildings. The kit contains basic materials needed to start a garden (Sahasrannaman, 2016). It was first implemented in the city of Chennai, but then also introduced to Madurai.
  • Sky Green vertical farm in Singapore is example of successful in city, all year-round vegetable (lettuces and cabbages) production. Sky Greens’ vertical farming provides both an efficient and environmentally and low-carbon hydraulic water-driven urban vertical farm that reduces the amount of energy and land needed for traditional farming techniques. Within a greenhouse, the three story's-high vertical systems produce five to ten times more per unit area compared to conventional farms (Foodtank, 2013).
  • Successful implementation of urban agriculture policies depends on effective partnership between government and private institutions. The synergistic efforts of Department of Agriculture (DoA) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and key players in the agriculture sector is reported to have encouraged more urban residents to participate in urban agricultural activities in open field plots, community farms, balconies, rooftops and garden pots in vertical stands (Hui, 2011; Shanshan & Ge, 2013).

From Yue-man Yueng, “Examples of urban agriculture in Asia”, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, vol. 9, no. 2 © 1987, The United Nations University. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/156482658700900212

  • Urban forestry for fruit production is rare in Asia, except in a handful of Chinese and Indian cities. The experience of Bangalore, in southern India, deserves scrutiny and possible replication. The Department of Horticulture there grows a large number of street trees, one-fourth of which bear fruit, with many providing food for animals at the same time.(Yue-man, 1987)

C

Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions:

1.            What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

The following comments are based on the article written by Onyekachukwu Akaeze and Dilip Nandwani “Urban agriculture in Asia to meet the food production challenges of urbanization: A review”, Urban Agriculture and Regional Food Systems, 18 October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.20002

  • Challenges particular to urban agriculture include a limitation in land area or spaces (Van Tuijl et al., 2018). This has resulted in higher prices to purchase, rent or lease urban spaces, thus forcing many prospective urban farmers to consider other options.
  • Limitation of city plans or building codes which may prohibit the establishment of rooftop gardens at certain locations (Pfeiffer, Silva, & Colquhoun, 2015).
  • The high financial, technological and infrastructural requirements to setup, operate, manage and maintain urban agriculture (such as hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics etc.) is beyond what most local farmer can afford (Van Tuijl et al., 2018; Dimitri, Oberholtzer, & Pressman, 2016; Van der Valk, 2012).
  • Some question the ‘safety’ levels of ‘urban vegetables’. They argue that there are high chances of heavy metal pollution since the air in urban centers are often heavily polluted (Vaneker, 2014).
  • Lawson (2016) reported air pollution (odor) and excess load on municipal energy grids especially in cases with livestock farms in urban centers.

Compartimos una experiencia que estamos trabajando dentro de la iniciativa AMARAL y actores claves para la contribución de aterrizar en un Programa de Política Pública para el Fomento al Programa de Seguridad Alimentaria en la capital de Puebla, México.

Saludos. 

Alma Olivia García Hernández, representante de AMARAL.

 

See the attachments:

Franco Torres

Fondazione Proclade Internazionale Onlus
刚果民主共和国

Faites part de vos commentaires sur les objectifs et le contenu proposé pour ce rapport, comme indiqué ci-dessus.

A

Estimez-vous que le champ d'application proposé est complet pour analyser et discuter des questions clés concernant le rôle des systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains dans la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaire et de la nutrition ? Y a-t-il des lacunes ou des omissions majeures ?

La proposition relève des points fondamentaux pour analyser et discuter le rôle des systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains dans la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaire. Néanmoins, une double omission -assez importante à notre avis- mérite d’être relevée. D’un côté il serait souhaitable d’expliciter le rôle des plus grands capitaux dans la configuration actuelle des systèmes alimentaires urbains. D’un autre côté il s’avère fondamental de reconnaître l’importance de l’intervention des états, notamment à travers l’implémentation de taxes, d’impôts progressifs et de programmes sociaux appliqués tant sur la production que sur le transport et la commercialisation des aliments pour rendre les systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains plus inclusifs, équitables et durables. Nous considérons que l’incorporation de ces deux aspects intimement liés rendrait la proposition plus complète.

B

Partager les bonnes pratiques et les expériences réussies en matière de renforcement des systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains dans le contexte de l'urbanisation et de la transformation rurale, y compris en cas d'urgence ou de conflit.

Les marchés et les réseaux de commerce juste qui favorisent le contact direct entre producteurs et consommateurs d’aliments.

Les champs et les potagers biologiques familiaux et communautaires dans les périphéries urbaines et même dans les centres urbains

L’agriculture syntropique dans les périphéries urbaines comme moyen de fournir des aliments et de rendre d’autres services écosystémiques, y compris la préservation de la flore et la faune locales.

C

Partager la littérature récente, les études de cas et les données qui pourraient aider à répondre aux questions suivantes :

1.            Quels sont les principaux goulets d'étranglement qui entravent la contribution des systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains à la sécurité alimentaire et à la nutrition ?

L’exclusion -paradoxale- de la plus part de la population urbaine des aliments locaux et bio à cause du prix. Pour les larges secteurs populaires, que dans des pays africains comme la RDC vivent sous le seuil de la pauvreté les aliments économiquement accessibles sont produits ailleurs (poulets et poisson congelés provenant de Pologne, Maroc et Chine, riz, provenant de Chine, boîte de « tomatoes », provenant aussi de Chine). Ce phénomène change les habitudes alimentaires de la population en les rendant moins saines et favorise un système de production et transport à forte émission de gaz à effet de serre. 

2.            Comment les systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains peuvent-ils être transformés et rendus plus équitables et accessibles à la fois pour les acteurs des systèmes alimentaires et en termes de sécurité alimentaire et de résultats nutritionnels ?

 Il est fondamental l’intervention de l’état et des politiques publiques dans la régulation de la production et le marché d’aliments. Dans ce sens,  nous trouvons opportun que les analyses macroéconomiques et historiques sur les inégalités (Cf Piketty, Thomas, Le capital au 21ème siècle, Paris, 2013 ; Capital et idéologie, Paris, 2019) ainsi que les propositions de politiques de redistribution des richesses soient appliquées à l’étude, la planification et la gestion des systèmes alimentaires. Piketty et d’autres proposent un système de taxes sur les plus hautes émissions de carbone ainsi qu’un système d’impôts progressif sur les plus gros capitaux afin de redistribuer les richesses d’une façon équitable. Ces propositions permettrait de réguler le pouvoir des grands acteurs du système alimentaire (producteurs de commodities, propriétaires de chaînes de supermarché, producteurs et importateurs de poulet, poisson congelés et riz) ainsi que de soutenir des allocations et des programmes sociaux pour les petits producteurs, producteurs familiaux, vendeurs et travailleurs des  marchés locaux, etc.

3.            Comment les chaînes d'approvisionnement alimentaire urbaines, formelles et informelles, locales et mondiales, peuvent-elles être rendues plus résilientes pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition en milieu urbain ?

Favoriser l’approvisionnement d’aliments à partir des centres productifs les plus proches contribue efficacement à la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition. Cela s’est avéré lors de la COViD 19. Compter le moins possible, voire pas du tout, sur les denrées alimentaires importées rende les chaînes alimentaires plus résilientes. Dans ce sens, la manufacture de produits locaux représente une bonne alternative, tel que la production de farine de manioc panifiable en Afrique le preuve en remplaçant progressivement la farine de blé pour la production de pain ( Cf FAO, La fabrication d’une farine de manioc de haute qualité, Nigeria et https://www.unikin.ac.cd/index.php/atelier-sur-lutilisation-de-la-farine-de-manioc-dans-la-boulangerie-et-la-patisserie-tenu-par-la-professeure-marie-yandju-dans-la-province-du-haut-katanga/)

Par ailleurs, l’investissement en infrastructure routière, y compris l’entretien des routes de desserte agricole ainsi que la construction de voies ferrées est incontournable. Dans le contexte africain, le mauvais état des routes (moins du 10% des routes de la RDC sont praticables toute l’année ) représente un obstacle majeur pour l’évacuation des produits vivriers et donc pour l’approvisionnement des centres urbains. De même, l’agenda 2063 prévoit de relier les différents points urbains et ruraux à travers la voie ferrée, ce qui aurait des énormes bénéfices sur les chaînes d’approvisionnement d’aliments car le train s’avère l’un des moyens de transport les plus efficients, même du point de vue environnemental.

4.            Quels sont les changements nécessaires dans la planification urbaine pour mieux soutenir toutes les dimensions de la sécurité alimentaire - y compris le soutien aux droits de l'homme, à l'action et à la durabilité ? Quelles sont les mesures qui peuvent renforcer l'action des acteurs locaux dans les systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains ?

L’appui des marchés locaux offrant les produits locaux à des prix vraiment compétitifs accessibles grâce à un système de compensation et programmes sociaux pour les petits producteurs locaux et la régulation des supermarchés (cf. plus haut la réponse 2).

5.            Comment les gouvernements nationaux et municipaux peuvent-ils renforcer le potentiel des villes à faible émission de carbone, inclusives, relativement autosuffisantes et résilientes pour améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition dans le sillage du changement climatique et d'autres crises ?

a) Favoriser la production coopérative, biologique, agro écologique et syntropique. Cf des expériences de l’Amérique Latine :

Au niveau national :

https://espaciosustentable.com/rosario-huertas-comunitarias/

https://youtu.be/O9-awhAqezk

Au niveau municipal :

https://espaciosustentable.com/rosario-huertas-comunitarias/

b) Dans les contexte africain il est urgent d’assurer l’accès universel à l’énergie propre pour la préparation des aliments. L’utilisation de la braise par la quasi-totalité de la population urbaine cause des énormes dégâts sur le système climatique ainsi que sur la santé des personnes. Le potentiel hydroélectrique de l’Afrique en général et de la RDC en particulier se présente comme un atout et une opportunité pour donner ce pas urgent.

6.            Quelles sont les politiques les plus appropriées (et les lacunes des politiques existantes) le long du continuum rural-urbain pour traiter les questions de régime foncier, d'expansion urbaine sur les terres agricoles et de concurrence croissante pour les ressources naturelles ?

Les politiques les plus appropriés sont celles qui reconnaissent les droits des populations locales, autochtones, groupements dans le droit foncière. Une grande lacune c’est sont les droits des femmes sur l’accès à la terre et sa propriété, y compris dans le contexte périurbain.

7.            Comment les systèmes alimentaires urbains et périurbains peuvent-ils garantir la satisfaction des besoins alimentaires et nutritionnels de groupes spécifiques, tels que les migrants, les personnes déplacées à l'intérieur de leur pays, les enfants, les adolescents, etc.

Les programmes sociaux qui ne se réduisent pas a un montant d’argent mais qui incorporent la possibilité de produire et consommer d’aliments locaux représente une alternative pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire des groupes les plus vulnérables. Le programme de potager communautaires s’est réalisé dans les secteurs périurbains habité par des familles de migrants, par exemple :  https://www.argentina.gob.ar/desarrollosocial/prohuerta

8.            Quels sont les avantages et les défis potentiels des marchés territoriaux pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition des populations urbaines ?

Les avantages de ce genre de marché sont :

  • Lien direct entre producteurs et consommateurs
  • Enrichissement et renforcement des liens sociaux et communautaires
  • Consommation de produits de qualité
  • Maximisation du bénéfice des producteurs familiaux
  • Moins d’impact environnemental négatif (déchet, chaînes de réfrigérateurs, etc)

Défis :

  • Disponibilité d’espaces pour son emplacement

9.            De quelle manière l'intégration de pratiques agricoles résilientes au climat et d'économie circulaire dans l'agriculture urbaine et périurbaine peut-elle fournir des cobénéfices climatiques pour tous et renforcer la résilience climatique ?

Dans des régions de collines sableuses où les glissements de terrains et les éboulements sont de plus en plus fréquents, l’agriculture syntropique se présente comme une opportunité pour la fourniture d’aliments et au même temps pour stabiliser le terrain en incorporant les arbres Autochtones, les fruitiers et d’autres. Les services écosystémiques de ce type de culture vont de la préservation de la flore jusqu’à la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique.

 

Dear HLPE-FSN colleagues and facilitators,

Since 2023, Instituto Escolhas is joining efforts with the Chair Josué de Castro from the University of São Paulo to develop collective studies in the months to follow on territorial food systems, aiming to reflect on the impacts of local food production for the promotion of healthy and sustainable food environments in Brazil.

The contributions attached reflect some of the findings and recommendations collected throughout various studies and different research projects. 

Best regards,

Juliana Luiz

 

 

See the attachments:

These contributions were elaborated collectively by the researchers of the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) Fight Against Hunger Strategies and public policies for the realization of the human right to adequate food - Transdisciplinary approach to food systems with the support of Artificial Intelligence (Brazil)

 

A. Share your comments on the objectives and proposed content of this report as outlined above.

Do you find the proposed scope comprehensive to analyze and discuss the key issues concerning the role of urban and peri-urban food systems in achieving food security and nutrition? Are there any major gaps or omissions?

We believe it is necessary to give more focus on the lack of coordination between the urban planning and the agriculture and environmental planning and policy design; also it could be emphasized the successful cases of urban and peri-urban food production, particularly observing what were the drivers, policies and conditions to their success in order to be evaluate the potentiality to replicate them.

The different types of urban agriculture that may co-exist in cities and their role in food security have to be taken into account. In small towns UA is pretty different than that of in megacities, especially if one considers access to land and food distribution. In larger cities, one must consider planning to have UA within deprived areas or food deserts, and have the tools to guarantee that the produced food stays where it is necessary. In smaller cities, the limits rural/urban are less clear sometimes.

 The city of Sao Paulo developed an interesting platform where all urban farms and gardens have been identified, linking them to local markets, cooperatives and bio-food markets and other commercializations points. (https://sampamaisrural.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/l)

B. Share good practices and successful experiences on strengthening urban and peri-urban food systems in the context of urbanization and rural transformation, including in the case of emergencies or conflicts.

In Brazil, there are several successful projects on urban gardens:    Horta Comunitária da Lomba do Pinheiro POA, Feira Agroecológica Porto Alegre, Projeto Feira Agroecológica (UFG), Projeto Horta na Escola (Prefeitura de Goiânia), Feira do Produtor Orgânico do Parque da Água Branca, Horta FSP e FM/ USP, Projeto Inova da Horta, da Prefeitura Municipal de Jundiaí, USP Sustentabilidade

In Brazil, the city of Jundiai, has developed a large-scale urban production  to introduce biodiverse, nutrient rich, indigenous plants to complement the school meals. In a 2 year project, 10 ton of biodiverse vegetables and tubercles were sent to 83 schools. During the pandemic, these vegetables were sent to families and hospitals. Forty-two underutilized vegetables were selected based on different criteria that could be introduced to school meals in other territories, being an  example of the feasibility of a large-scale production for “non-conventional” vegetables . (https://hortapanc.com.br/inovanahorta/)

Projetos CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

C. Share recent literature, case studies and data that could help answer the following questions:

1. What are the main bottlenecks hampering the contribution of urban and peri-urban food systems to food security and nutrition?

The use and quality of water applied in food production: there is a lack of actions to identify the current situation and to propose adequate solutions in terms of sanitation and sustainable use of water.

Commercialisation spaces: in large cities, it is common for commercialisation spaces of more sustainable and healthy products, coming especially from the peri-urban areas, to be concentrated in central areas and areas of greater purchasing power.

It is necessary to have a public policy either to promote, subsidize and provide technical assistance to the development of urban and peri-urban food systems, or to enhance the participation of private sectors and civil society in this kind of initiative.

It is also important to have a legal provision to these kinds of food systems, not only for producing the food, but also providing regulation that allows its commercialization and guarantees its food safety.

Above all, it is essential to use communication tools to provide information about the food systems, their socio-economic importance as well as the healthy attribute of this kind of food in comparison to processed food. This education strategy is also recommendable in the primary schools where kids can be taught how to seed, cultivate, harvest and consume fresh vegetables, fruits, roots and legumes.  

bottleneck 1: One has to acknowledge that UA cannot be expected to satisfy the urban demand for staple crops like cereals and tubers. ref Opitz, I., Berges, R., Piorr, A. et al. Contributing to food security in urban areas: differences between urban agriculture and peri-urban agriculture in the Global North. Agric Hum Values 33, 341–358 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-015-9610-2

bottleneck 2: In LMIC countries, UA can positively impact food availability and dietary diversity.

It may provide household income, but not always enough to ensure food security. Poulsen et al, Food Policy 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.07.002

bottleneck 3. Land tenure security is one of the most basic and crucial requirements of urban farming. https://doi.org/10.1h016/j.landusepol.2019.104ck

bottleneck 4. identifying typologies of urban agriculture is necessary to create public policies ref: Urban agriculture, food security, and development policies in Jakarta: A case study of farming communities at Kalideres – Cengkareng district, West Jakarta, Land Use Policy, Volume 89 2019, 104211, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104

2. How can urban and peri-urban food systems be transformed and made more equitable and accessible both for food system actors and in terms of food security and nutrition outcomes?

The city of Quito has developed a plan to link urban farmers and local supply chains with great success: Support to 500 vulnerable urban, peri-urban and rural farmers yearly production of more than 960,000 kg of food products,  the project has supported more than 21,000 people, of which 84% were women

https://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5641

Camanda Jennifer Chandra, Jessica Ann Diehl, Urban agriculture, food security, and development policies in Jakarta: A case study of farming communities at Kalideres – Cengkareng district, West Jakarta, Land Use Policy, Volume 89, 2019, 104211,ISSN 0264-8377,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104211

Short channels of commercialization (varejões, for instance in Brazil), which can also be promoted by the local government, could be used to make it more accessible to urban consumers, taking the advantage of concentrating in one single place, several producers, eventually using this market point to promote the urban and peri-urban food systems to the population, allowing consumers to have a direct contact with farmers or agricultural workers, getting more information about the food they buy and its quality. The system of municipal “varejões” in Piracicaba, São Paulo state, in Brazil, is working very well and more recently, there is an initiative to organize a stamp called SELAPIR that intends to value and recognize the local producer as a food supplier to the town. This stamp has been developed in a partnership involving several institutions, including the University of São Paulo, and that was led by the Secretariat of Agriculture of the municipal government.

3. How can urban food supply chains, formal and informal, local and global, be made more resilient to ensure food security and nutrition within urban settings?

The involvement of communities is essential, as well as the guarantee of supplies and technical assistance by the public authorities, partners such as universities and federal institutes

The city of Quito has developed a plan to link urban farmers and local supply chains with great success: Support to 500 vulnerable urban, peri-urban and rural farmers yearly production of more than 960,000 kg of food products,  the project has supported more than 21,000 people, of which 84% were women (https://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5641)

4.  What changes are needed in urban planning to better support all dimensions of food security – including support for human rights, agency and sustainability? Which are some of the measures that can strengthen the agency of local actors in urban and peri-urban food systems?

Given the diversity of realities in Brazil, municipal policymakers are the most directly involved in dealing with urban planning to support Mayors governments. A local framework that includes production-distribution spots, with mechanisms to ensure that food reaches people, requires coordination of all departments (named: agriculture and supply, water and sanitation, education, health, social assistance, urban planning, among others) to build up a structure for production chains linked to popular retail and restaurants. Revision of urban space occupation and regulation mechanisms to inhibit real estate speculation, however, are complex actions to be faced by local managers without support from state and federal management, due to local conflicts of interest. Monitoring mechanisms can start from the improvement of existing Brazilian information systems, allied to the participation of local councils*: Cadastro Único, Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC), Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (Sisvan), Sistema Único de Assistência Social (SUAS). * Examples: municipal councils of health, school meals, environment, social assistance.

5. How can national and municipal governments strengthen the potential for low-carbon, inclusive, relatively self-sufficient and resilient cities and towns to drive improved food security and nutrition in the wake of climate change and other crises?

It is essential to disseminate the technologies already available that allow for producing agricultural products in systems that are less intensive in carbon-emissions. It is also important to identify what are still the operations or activities that are more pollutant and promote studies to find alternatives to replace or adjust them. In this sense, engagement with the environmental agencies are essential in order to bring the best knowledge available to guide the transformation toward more resilient cities and towns.

In the city of Quito, a initiative to link UA and NBS has taken place: https://oppla.eu/casestudy/23366

The document above  provides information of 7 cases of success in Europe where UA has been integrated to green spaces governance: researchgate.net/publication/293825383_Innovative_Governance_of_Urban_Green_Spaces_-_Learning_from_18_innovative_examples_across_Europe

Rosario is another case where urban gardens have been thought in a scenario of agroecology and reshaping of urban spaces. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-021-10253-7

Participatory Design of Public Spaces for Urban Agriculture, Rosario, Argentina June 2009Open House International 34(2):36-49

6. What are the most appropriate policies (and gaps in existing policies) along the rural-urban continuum to address issues of land tenure, urban expansion into farmland and the growing competition for natural resources?

Any good policy toward a more sustainable system and therefore to guarantee a rural-urban continuum without great disputes, it is necessary  to establish strict regulation about the land tenure, and mainly to guarantee enforcement and monitoring of outcomes. Organizing a detailed database, using artificial intelligence tools to cross data of different sources, and to build georeferenced maps have become a useful tool to monitor the policy implementation and, if it is necessary, to identify needs to make adjustments in the planning.

7. How can urban and peri-urban food systems ensure that food and nutrition needs of specific groups of people, such as migrants, the internally-displaced, children, adolescent, etc., are met?

Check Toronto case for migrants: Bessho, A.; Terada, T.; Yokohari, M. Immigrants’ “Role Shift” for Sustainable Urban Communities: A Case Study of Toronto’s Multiethnic Community Farm. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8283. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198283

Check Philippines projects on school gardens, biodiversity that dec malnutrition: https://www.searca.org/pubs/briefs-notes?pid=430 

Projects in schools, health units, prisons and social assistance spaces. In order for the actions to continue, it is important to involve communities, as well as guaranteeing supplies and technical assistance from the public authorities, partners such as universities and federal institutes.

9. In what ways can the incorporation of climate resilient agricultural and circular economy practices in urban and peri-urban agriculture provide climate co-benefits for all and enhance climate resilience?

Urban gardens increase plant and insect biodiversity, create microclima of better temperature and humidity. Agroecological practices create better soils, decreasing erosion with better water retention capacity, helping to mitigate floods.Composting can reduce burden to landfills, decrease methane emissionsRain water capture and storage.

Increase in food biodiversity, use of resilient, native plants, that will support climate associated stresses

ref: https://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5650

Promotion and facilitation of the consumption of in natura, organic foods of vegetable origin, produced and distributed in short chains.

10. How can citizens be engaged and empowered to drive inclusive, transparent, participatory processes for urban transformations, ensuring synergies and complementarity with city councils?

Citizen engagement and participatory processes occur in truly democratic governments.

Involving people in spaces that promote education actions, through awareness-raising activities, training for participation in councils.

11. Which experiences of urban communities to increase access to fresh food and healthy diets can inspire broader public policies?

The Brazilian Initiative “Frente Alimenta” is an interesting project coordinated by citizens and NGOs from the urban region in Sao Paulo. From donations received during the pandemics, the project bought organic food from urban and periurban farms, invested in improving community kitchens and gave assistance to urban gardens. They connected urban farms to community kitchens. In 2022, with a budget correspondent to U$ 50,000 the group provided 29 ton of agroecological food to the kitchens, and more than 100,000 fresh food meals were provided (https://www.frentealimenta.com.br/).

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the scope of the report.

 Further to the comments already provided I recommend expanding the scope to include Indigenous Peoples food systems in the urban and peri-urban context. These food systems largely exist outside the cash economy and hence are often over-looked yet they provide an importance source nutrition, an example of social capital and cultural connection for the growing number of Indigenous Peoples moving to urban and peri-urban areas. Additionally, urban sprawl and its impacts are affecting these food systems.